DEPUE MEN’S CLUB

groups that now help with the event.

But all agreed that the toughest duty during the races is food committee, which operates the club’s food stand at the park shelter. Serving early morning breakfast and food throughout the races, it makes for a very long day.

e committee that usually gets the most volunteers is, of course, the beer committee, which operates the club’s two beer gardens during the event.

“Yeah, everybody wants to be on that one,” Widmar noted.

Widmar’s position for the past 40 years has been the one no else has wanted: handling the money.

During the races, it was his job as treasurer to set up funds each morning for the four admission gates, beer gardens, donation booth and food stand, and then collect incoming money throughout the day. Each evening, he was responsible for depositing the day’s proceeds at the bank.

“It could be a real long day sometimes,” Widmar said. “Especially with the night beer garden. ose guys would just crumple up the bills and toss them in the bin. Sometimes I’d be out there uncrumpling them until 3 a.m. just to count the take.”

Yet Widmar’s duties didn’t end with the races. He also was responsible for collecting vendor fees, paying for equipment, setting up insurance and myriad other duties before and a er the event, including overseeing club donations, which was the whole point of creating the club in the rst place.

Over the years, the DePue Men’s Club has donated about $500,000 to organizations in both DePue and across the Illinois Valley area. Along with the

2023 DEPUE MEN’S CLUB OFFICERS & DIRECTORS

President: Trent Solorio

Vice President: Alan Bosnich

Treasurer: Trey Solorio

Secretary: Drew Solorio

Directors:

• Grant Bosnich

• Paul Bosnich

• Greg Heredia

• Don Hoffert

• Thomas Hollingsworth III

• Matt Maybank

• Gilbert Moreno

• Daniel Rauh

• Stephen Rauh races, it’s the opportunity to provide community service that has drawn many members into organization.

“I’m very proud of what we’ve done over the years,” said Marquez. “For instance, there was a time when the school’s basketball court was in terrible shape. anks to the club’s help, it now looks great!” at said, however, the club is still best known for hosting the Lake DePue Pro National Championship Boat Races, an achievement it has accomplished every summer but one over the past 37 years (the 2020 races were canceled due to state COVID regulations).

In addition to numerous other projects around the village, the club also was responsible for replacing the playground at Lake DePue Park.

A er the success of the 1984 race, the club realized it had a lot of work to do. Chief among them was clearing away some of the trees on the shoreline, which prevented viewing of the races to all but front row spectators.

Along with overseeing the races, the club also found itself tasked with plenty of other jobs, including lining up food vendors, musical entertainers, a carnival, sanitation services, police, re and ambulance services, electrical distribution, trophies and cash awards, donation programs, just to name a few.

Fundraising has always been a challenge. e races don’t come cheap. Back in 1984, the event cost around $7,000. Since then, the price has more than quadrupled to around $45,000, of which about $20,000 goes towards prize money.

Admission to the races was free up until 1999, when a $2 per person admission fee was established. Admission was eventually raised to $3 and later to the current $5.

“But where else can you bring in your own cooler of beer and food to a festival?” Solorio said. “It’s a small price to pay when you consider that.” e races serve as a homecoming for the village and the surrounding area, but they also draw in thousands of spectators and fans from all over the country. Each year an estimated 30,000 people attend the event. e racers themselves are equally impressed with the crowds drawn to what’s become a signature event in their racing year.

When Solorio, Widmar and Bryant launched the DePue Men’s Club back in 1982, they were simply looking for a way to provide service to their community. Back then, they had no idea that four decades later the club would become synonymous with the Lake DePue Pro National Championship Boat Races.

“I’m still in awe of what it’s become,” Solorio said.